Current Events – 42 aims to foster global awareness in our children and community. Their teachers will be letting the children guide the discussion about the Ukraine crisis.

These facts are from – No Nonsense News

How do Russian citizens feel about this?

We can’t paint with a broad brush, but we know that more than 1,700 people have been arrested in 50 cities across Russia (as of writing) since Putin started his offensive. And this is in a country where dissent can lead to imprisonment or worse.

Why isn’t Ukraine in NATO?

There are a few reasons, among them:

1) Limiting the military commitment of NATO members, especially after long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

2) Ukraine is still not quite “democratic” enough by NATO standards, but in 2008 they were assured they would be admitted eventually

3) NATO and Ukraine didn’t want to poke the Russian bear — aka, picking their battles

4) Ukraine hasn’t always been consistent on whether it wants to join, but in 2019 they made their desire to join part of their constitution

What is the current state of US sanctions?

Today, President Biden announced additional sanctions against four Russian banks but stopped short of banning Russia from SWIFT, an international banking system. (For more info on SWIFT, check out my Twitter thread.)

He is also sanctioning more billionaires close to Putin.

Biden is also sanctioning individuals in Belarus connected to the attack, including the country’s defense minister.

What is Putin’s reasoning? Why Ukraine?

Ukraine was a member of the USSR until 1991 and is the second-largest country in Europe, behind Russia. Expert Anne Applebaum told us Ukraine represents “a challenge to his authority” and that he wants the country “to become part of Russia again.”

This video will be one of the resources if the discussions with the children warrant it.

This video from – Nightly News with Lester Holt Kids Edition – will be one of the resources if the discussions with the children warrant it.

Nightly News with Lester Holt Kids Edition – This week, there’s been a lot of awful things happening in the news, and for young children (and parents, to be honest), the crisis in Ukraine can be confusing.

While we want to shield our kids from much of the violence, it’s still important to share the situation with them in a way they can understand––because they know something is going on. In a new video from NBC News Kids Edition, the team tackles the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, breaking down the history and reasons why the two countries are at odds. To skip right to the Ukraine segment, just fast forward to 1:34 on the video.

This Video Will Help Explain What’s Happening in Ukraine to Your Kids

Respectfully,

May W Lee and Olga Lipsky